Follow these instructions to resolve the "Hold for Authentication" error when printing using Mobility Print on macOS computers.
Overview
Sometimes, when printing from a macOS computer, the job appears to pause in the print queue window with the message Hold for Authentication. This error indicates that the user's credentials are being rejected by the print server.
Issue
You may encounter this error in several situations:
- Your computer auto-filled your computer login username in the username field. This needs to be your MHC Account username
- Your MHC Account password was entered incorrectly or has changed since it was saved
The issue can be harder to diagnose if you've previously saved your printing credentials in Keychain Access because this means the opportunity to enter or review your credentials is skipped when you send a print job.
There may be a different underlying cause for faculty and staff who encounter this issue. If the department accounting code information is not properly assigned in our central administrative system, a PaperCut printing system account may not have been created for you yet. This is an issue that needs to be fixed manually in the central administrative system. If you find that the resolution instructions below do not resolve your issue, please
open up a Faculty/staff printing ticket to report this to LITS.
Resolution
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Open Keychain Access. You can find it in your Launchpad/Applications folder, or by searching for it.
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If asked whether you want to open Passwords or Keychain Access, select Keychain Access
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In the Keychain Access window, you'll find all of your saved passwords. Select login or Local items in the left hand menu and search for "LITS".
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When you find the password for LITS-Public-Cloud or LITS-FacStaff-Cloud, double-click on it. Select the Delete option.
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On successful deletion, submit your print job again to LITS-Public-Cloud or LITS-FacStaff-Cloud
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You will receive a prompt requesting name & password for the printer. Use your MHC Account username ONLY (no @mtholyoke.edu) and MHC Account password before choosing OK.
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You’re done! The printer icon will bounce in your dock and then disappear -- Success! Your print job has left your computer and is in the cloud waiting for you to tap and release at the public MFD.